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Drastic tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump have shaken foreign automakers. So it came as a surprise that Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda was spotted wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat this weekend.
Toyoda appeared at a NASCAR event at Fuji Speedway on Sunday, where the crowd cheered and waved American flags. He not only wore a MAGA hat, he also wore a “Trump-Vance 2024” t-shirt (1). The US Ambassador to Japan, George Glass, was also present at the event.
Toyota has long been America’s best-selling foreign automaker, making tariffs a major issue for the company. Toyoda used his appearance on Sunday to clarify his position.
“I’m not here to debate whether tariffs are good or bad. Every national leader wants to protect their own auto industry,” he said. “We’re looking at ways to make pricing work for everyone. The people we most want to see win are our customers.”
In September, Trump signed an executive order reducing tariffs on Japanese auto imports from 27.5% to 15%.
Just two days after Toyoda participated in MAGA, Toyota announced a $912 million investment in the United States (2).
The new funding will go to five Toyota manufacturing plants involved in producing hybrid vehicles: the Buffalo plant in West Virginia, the Georgetown plant in Kentucky, the Blue Springs plant in Mississippi, the Jackson plant in Tennessee and the Troy plant in Missouri.
The investment is part of Toyota’s broader plan to inject up to $10 billion into its U.S. operations over the next five years, as announced on November 13 (3).
And Toyota isn’t the only multinational investing big money in the United States.
Big companies from all sectors are pumping billions into America. Apple announced a massive $600 billion investment in manufacturing and workforce training in the United States (4). Johnson & Johnson plans to invest $55 billion in manufacturing, research and development, and new technologies in the United States (5). And Hyundai is investing $21 billion in the United States to increase auto production capacity, localize key components and accelerate work on the industries of the future (6).
These massive commitments speak to a broader reality: Even as policies change — and even when they are unpopular, with some Trump supporters criticizing tariffs — global companies still view the United States as one of the most reliable places to build and grow.
America’s economic strength and long-term growth potential have made it a magnet for capital for decades. This optimism is shared by some of the world’s most successful investors, including Warren Buffett.
“America has been a great country for investors. All they’ve had to do is sit quietly, listen to no one,” Buffett wrote in his 2023 shareholder letter (7).
Buffett has been remarkably consistent on this point.
“For 240 years, betting against America has been a terrible mistake and now is not the time to start. The golden goose of American commerce and innovation will continue to lay bigger and bigger eggs,” he wrote in 2016 (8).
His unwavering confidence in the country has paid off: American stocks are the cornerstone of his wealth.
“I cannot remember a period since March 11, 1942 – the date of my first stock purchase – when I did not have the majority of my net worth in stocks, stocks based in the United States,” he recalls (7).
For those looking to follow in Buffett’s footsteps, he has long championed a simple but effective strategy: investing in an S&P 500 index fund.
“In my opinion, for most people, the best thing to do is own the S&P 500 index fund,” Buffett said (9). This approach gives investors exposure to 500 of the largest U.S. companies across a wide range of industries, providing instant diversification without the need for constant monitoring or active trading.
The beauty of this tactic is its accessibility: anyone, regardless of wealth, can take advantage of it. Even small amounts can grow over time with tools like Acorns, a popular app that automatically invests your spare change.
Signing up for Acorns takes just a few minutes: link your cards and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference – your spare change – in a diversified portfolio.
With Acorns, you can invest in an S&P 500 ETF with as little as $5 – and, if you sign up today with a recurring monthly contribution, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you start your investing journey.
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Beyond stocks, real estate has long been another cornerstone of wealth creation in America.
In fact, Buffett often references real estate to explain what a productive, income-generating asset looks like. In 2022, Buffett said that if you offered him “1% of all the apartment buildings in the country” for $25 billion, he would write you a check (10).
For what? Because regardless of what’s happening in the broader economy, people still need a place to live, and apartments can consistently bring in money on rent.
Real estate also provides a built-in hedge against inflation. When inflation rises, property values also rise, reflecting rising costs of materials, labor and land. At the same time, rental income tends to increase, providing landlords with an income stream that adjusts for inflation.
Of course, you don’t need $25 billion – or even buy a single property – to invest in real estate. Crowdfunding platforms like Arrived offer an easier way to gain exposure to this income-generating asset class.
Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived lets you invest in rental home stocks for as little as $100, all without having to mow the lawn, fix leaky faucets, or deal with difficult tenants.
The process is simple: browse a selection of homes that have been reviewed for appreciation and income potential. Once you have found a property you like, select the number of shares you wish to purchase, then sit back as you begin receiving positive rental income distributions from your investment.
Another option is First National Realty Partners (FNRP), which allows accredited investors to diversify their portfolio through commercial properties anchored by grocery stores without taking on the responsibilities of a landlord.
With a minimum investment of $50,000, investors can own a share of properties leased by national brands like Whole Foods, Kroger and Walmart, which provide essential goods to their communities. With triple net leases, qualified investors can invest in these properties without worrying about rental costs reducing their potential returns.
Simply answer a few questions, including how much you want to invest, to start browsing the full list of available properties.
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Fox Enterprise (1); Toyota (2, 3); Apple (4); Johnson&Johnson (5); Hyundai News (6); Berkshire Hathaway (7), (8); CNBC (9), (10)
This article provides information only and should not be considered advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
